GODLY AUDIENCES: RAY

[divus]

Comments

[selfimmolates]

Isn't that what your dance studio is for? Honestly...

[he looks around at the shop.]

... Nice change of pace?

[divus]

You'd think. But there's a reason I'm hosting with him instead of somebody else.

[There's a thoughtful hum as she finishes the cookie in her hand.] ...I forgot how peaceful this place is when things aren't going on. Inaba's always been a quiet place though. Maybe I just forgot how much I was really leaving behind once I ascended.

[selfimmolates]

You still haven't explained what the hell is with this whole "ascension to godhood" thing.

[divus]

It's exactly what it sounds like. I don't remember a lot of it, but...it's kind of like how you guys got here? We were just called to ascend by some weird cosmic force or something, and when we accepted we became gods, got our new names and our new powers. A lot of us ascended right after something really important happened in our mortal lives, but some of us just happened to be called early.

There's no, like, supreme overlord or anything watching over the pantheon. But we could have said no if we wanted to.

[selfimmolates]

That...

[he pauses.]

That sounds weird as hell, actually.

[divus]

Yeah, well. Maybe I'm used to weird? At first I thought it was because of my Persona having some weird spiritual connection thing, but then the others showed up and that didn't make sense anymore. [She can acknowledge that much.]

We've been kind of trying to figure it out, too. But I think we've all accepted it pretty well.

[selfimmolates]

I'm guessing you can't just undo the godhood, so no choice but to get used to it, huh?

[divus]

Unless there's something nobody's told me, no.

...some of us think about it sometimes. If we made the right choice saying yes. I was pretty sure I had until Yu-senpai showed up, but even now I still think so. And godhood isn't so bad.

I just have to make sure I'm still winning so that everyone's wishes come true.

[selfimmolates]

You've got tough competition in the form of Ambition, looks like.

... Which reminds me: Senri said something about the winning god being able to grant minor wishes even for their non-followers?

[divus]

That's because she has a power that lets her cheat. [Oh look who's still mad about Advancement Opportunity.]

But that's right! It's an option I'm hoping the winning god will actually allow. It'll depend who that is. It doesn't make sense not to try when all of you have been working really hard here.

[selfimmolates]

Yeah, and I hate it.

[...]

I figured you'd be all for it. I'm guessing Ambition might be less keen on it?

[divus]

Knowing her it's going to depend on if she thinks people have earned it. Disorder might not be for it either, or Indulgence.

...of the gods I have good enough relationships with, I can be confident in saying Beauty, Piety, Sincerity, Merriment, Justice and myself would be all for it. I feel like Disorder and Indulgence might be leaning toward no, depending, same with Ambition, and I never know how Cunning feels about anything.

...Fortune would have been for it, I think. Ruin obviously not.

[selfimmolates]

... This is pretty much what I expected from all of you, yeah. Nice to know you're all at least a little predictable.

[divus]

You sure it's not just because you've talked to us enough you know us better? I don't know if everyone would come to the same conclusion.

[selfimmolates]

Don't remind me.

[divus]

We love you too. [An eyeroll.] ...it's because of people like you and Zoe and Takaomi-kun and Senri-kun that more of you are reaching out to us now. I think that's great.

[selfimmolates]

Well, we tried. If they hadn't gotten the memo by now, they'd never be getting it.

[divus]

Some people are pretty set in their ways and their gods. And some people don't even care about their gods because they want to win. [A shrug.] It's the only problem with competitions like this.

[selfimmolates]

Which is going to make beating Ambition potentially difficult, unfortunately.

[divus]

Exactly. Nonon had a plan but...I might ask Senpai to do it instead. Defect to Ambition and use Advancement Opportunity against them in the last week of the game.

You'll be patrolling Thursday night, right? If you do see a murderer, how're you going to bring it up in the trial without outing your own alignment? You played it smart making everyone think you were with Justice last week, but I don't know if the same trick will work twice.

[selfimmolates]

[good thing i don't have to think about this because he'll be fuckin dead]

It'll depend on who and what I see. In any case, a worrying large amount of people seem ready to believe in just about anything I say.

[divus]

Good thing you're not looking to actively hurt a bunch of people. [Hm.] I'm just saying take all of that into consideration.

...and I'm running the trial this weekend. I'll help you where I can.

[selfimmolates]

I can't say I won't kill someone if it comes down to it.

How much leeway do you have as the one running the trial? Merriment lied his ass off for Ishikirimaru and Takaomi last week, but I guess you probably can't do the same.

[divus]

I said a lot of people, Ray. ...I know what I said at the beginning of this game, and I still want you to avoid it if you can, but protect yourself first. Do whatever it takes to stay alive. You still have to come back to me, remember?

[He never promised but also 8|]

Merriment's actually a good liar when he needs to be, but since he's not so openly shady nobody suspects it. But who says I can't? ...is it really lying if I'm just not telling the whole truth? Like lies of omission. Maybe they'll believe me, too.

The only thing I can't do is outright tell you guys who the culprit is. But I don't think there's anything that says I can't say who I think the culprit isn't.

[selfimmolates]

In that case, if Ishikirimaru and Takaomi have to do anything drastic, try and cover for them as well.